Detachable hollow guide needle

ABSTRACT

A hollow guide needle for venipuncture to introduce a flexible catheter into a body vein for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative to the body, and which includes telescoped parts which may be separated into detachable sections after use and thus completely separated from the inserted catheter initially associated therewith.

United States Patent Inventor James A. Huggins Racine, Wis.

Appl. No. 1 2,648

Filed Feb. 19, I970 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee Illinois Tool Works Inc. Chicago, Ill.

DETACHABLE HOLLOW GUIDE NEEDLE Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant ExaminerJ. C. McGowan AttorneysRobert W. Beart, Michael Kovac, Barry L. Clark and Jack R. Halvorsen 6 Chums 4Dmwmg Figs ABSTRACT: A hollow guide needle for venipuncture to in- U.S. Cl 128/214.4, troduce a flexible catheter into a body vein for withdrawing or 128/221 introducing fluids relative to the body, and which includes Int. CI A6111! 5/00 telescoped parts which may be separated into detachable sec- Field of Search 1 /2 tions after use and thus completely separated from the in- 2l4.2, 214.4, 221, 348, 349 serted catheter initially associated therewith.

K I4 1 1 l PATENTEUDET SIS?! 3,610,239

INVEXTUR; James A. Hugg/ns His Alr'ys l DETACIIABLE HOLLOW GUIDE NEEDLE Until recently, guide needles have been retained on the flexible catheter after venipuncture and the catheter tube inserted in the vein. However, this has often resulted in potential hazards to the patient as well as discomfort, because of various makeshift approaches such as taping the needle to the patient, shielding the needle in various ways, and this has resulted in nonuniform surgical procedures for nurses and others aiding the attending physician.

According to the present invention, there is provided a detachable guide needle which may be completely removed form the flexible catheter tube after venipuncture with the catheter introduced into a selected vein and, as such, is an improvement over the detachable guide needle arrangements shown in US. Pat. No. 3,359,978, and copending patent applications, Ser. Nos. 12,649 FILED Feb. 19, 1970 and 12,650 filed Feb. 19, 1971.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved detachable needle guide for use with a flexible catheter tube to be inserted in a body vein and which needle guide may be easily separated into separate sections after use and readily removed from the inserted catheter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide needle which permits ready insertion into a body vein for placement of a flexible catheter therein and ready removal from the vein and subsequent rapid removal of the guide needle from the inserted catheter initially associated therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle guide substantially of the above type which may be readily separated by telescoping movement into detachable sections after use without breakaway connections between the sections.

The invention further aims to provide a needle guide substantially of the above type which is of extremely simple and compact construction lending itself to economical mass production techniques and which permits greater comfort while obviating hazards to the patient.

To the above ends, this invention provides a needle guide made up of two telescopically associated and substantially mirror image U-shaped sections forming a tube assembly for receiving a flexible catheter therein with one end of the tube assembly needle sharpened along a taper for venipuncture to locate the included flexible catheter in the vein, and with handle means at the opposite end of each U-shaped section permitting withdrawal of the tube assembly along the inserted catheter tube and telescopic separation of one section from the other so that both can be completely removed from the catheter. In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled guide needle with a flexible catheter tune included therein;

FIG. 2 is an end view in the direction of the arrows 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but showing the directional relative telescoping separating movement between the tube assembly section prior to separation thereof for removal.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, the guide needle is designed for use with a flexible catheter 12 for use in withdrawing or introducing fluids relative to parts of a body, such as tissues, muscles and veins. The guide needle serves the dual purpose of making, for example, the venipuncture and carrying the flexible catheter 12 which is then inserted in the opening in the vein. Thereafter, the guide is removed from the body with the catheter left in its inserted position, and since the guide needle then serves no further function, it is removed from the body and, according to the invention, it may be completely removed from the catheter as will be hereinafter pointed out.

The guide needle is in the form of a two-piece elongated tube assembly including telescoping inner and outer arcuate, substantially U-shaped sections 14, 16, respectively, of thin sheet stock material, such as stainless steel having a thickness of the order of 0.006 inches, so that it has the characteristics of a rigid but relatively thin, noncorrosive and sanitary needle for puncturing body parts. The sections may be stamped in substantial mirror image from the sheet stock material to include handle sections 18, 20, respectively, and shaped to the U-shaped configuration with the inner tube section 14 opening downwardly and with the outer tube section 16 opening upwardly, and with the handle sections upstanding from each respective tube section and slightly offset inwardly to substantial juxtaposition with one another. The handle sections I8, 20, may be arcuate, as illustrated with inclined strengthening strutlike webs 22, 24, respectively, merging therewith from the respective tube sections. The end of the outer tube section 16 has an inclined plane needle point 26 and the adjacent end of the inner tube section 14 may be cut on a similar bias, as at 28, to complement the inclined piercing edge 26 of the outer tube section, as is the adjacent end 120 of the catheter tube. The inner and outer tube assembly sections l4, l6 overlap one another beyond a transverse diameter (see FIG. 2) so that these sections interlock with one another to prevent separation, except by longitudinal relative movement, when in their telescoped positions.

in use, the needle guide assembly may be grasped by the nurse, physician or other attendant along the barrel portion thereof, or at the handles which are maintained against relative movement in suitable fashion as by a figure-eight clip tightly embracing the top portions thereof, and inserted in the selected body portion, such as a vein, to position the catheter 12 either after penetration or during that operation, for withdrawing or introducing fluids. Then, the guide needle assembly may be withdrawn along the now-inserted catheter from the body portion and the inner tube section 14 may then be telescoped axially outwardly of the outer tube section 16, as illustrated in FIG. 4 by the arrow, to separate the same and permit complete removal of these sections from the catheter which will have been previously taped or otherwise secured to the patient in the body-inserted position thereof for the intended fluid-handling operation. Thus, there is provided a guide needle which facilitates controlled insertion thereof in the selected body part for placement of a catheter, and removal of the guide needle thereafter from the body part and complete separation thereof from the catheter.

lclaim:

l. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly for insertion into a body portion and locating a flexible catheter in the body portion for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto; and comprising telescope interfitting inner and outer elongate hollow members forming the guide needle assembly for receiving a flexible catheter therein and having a sharpened configuration at one end thereof for body insertion, and each said inner and outer hollow members having longitudinal apertures throughout the lengths thereof said outer member having a substantially rounded U-shaped of more than lextent to provide an interfitting relationship between itself and the inner member when telescoped together, each of said longitudinal apertures being of a size permitting the same to clear an included catheter whereby to permit complete removal of each said member from association with the body-inserted catheter when the guide needle is withdrawn from the body portion and said members are telescopically separated from one another.

2. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner member is also substantially U- shaped with the longitudinal apertures of each member substantially oppositely to one another.

3. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide needle assembly includes handle means remote from the sharpened end for manipulation thereof for insertion and removal.

4. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handle means includes a pair of handle members, one upstanding from each hollow member and juxtaposed for insertion and removal of the needle guide assembly and relatively axially separable from one another to 6; A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer hollow members each include an upstanding handle section with the hollow members and handle sections forming substantially mirror images of one another. 

1. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly for insertion into a body portion and locating a flexible catheter in the body portion for withdrawing or introducing fluids relative thereto; and comprising telescope interfitting inner and outer elongate hollow members forming the guide needle assembly for receiving a flexible catheter therein and having a sharpened configuration at one end thereof for body insertion, and each said inner and outer hollow members having longitudinal apertures throughout the lengths thereof said outer member having a substantiaLly rounded U-shaped of more than 180*extent to provide an interfitting relationship between itself and the inner member when telescoped together, each of said longitudinal apertures being of a size permitting the same to clear an included catheter whereby to permit complete removal of each said member from association with the body-inserted catheter when the guide needle is withdrawn from the body portion and said members are telescopically separated from one another.
 2. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner member is also substantially U-shaped with the longitudinal apertures of each member substantially oppositely to one another.
 3. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide needle assembly includes handle means remote from the sharpened end for manipulation thereof for insertion and removal.
 4. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handle means includes a pair of handle members, one upstanding from each hollow member and juxtaposed for insertion and removal of the needle guide assembly and relatively axially separable from one another to relatively telescope the respective members to separated positions permitting complete removal thereof from the catheter.
 5. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer hollow members making up the guide needle assembly are in substantially mirror image to one another.
 6. A detachable hollow guide needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer hollow members each include an upstanding handle section with the hollow members and handle sections forming substantially mirror images of one another. 